The unofficial launch of the Women's Farming Union

The unofficial launch of the Women's Farming Union

The line up in the North Country Cheviot shearling ram class just prior to the final placings being made at the show and sale held by the Northern Pastoral Club at Dingwall in 1962.

The official launch of the Women's Farming Union was due to take place in Perth in 1987.

The union, which already boasted 40 Scottish members, was well established in England as a body which helps to bridge the gap between the farmer and the consumer.

The coordinator of the Scottish launch, Clover Mack, claims that as farmers' wives have, for many years, helped on the farm, shopped for food and prepared the meals, they are the best qualified peope to co-ordinate such a movement.

Jill Lawrie, Newton of Arbirlot, Arbroath, was helping to organise the launch and believed the union had an important job to do in amalgamating bodies such as the PMB, MLC and SQBLA at the shop front level.

They also produced fact sheets to promote home produced foods.

10 years ago

- Tighter controls were set to be enforced to govern Scotch beef and ensure it remains top quality. The proposals meant the product must be born, reared and slaughtered in Scotland and could only come from a farm which passed the quality farm assurance standards from QMS.

The move set alarm bells ringing among some sectors who said it was unnecessary.

- It was claimed that the disposal of abattoir waste and human sewage onto farmland could be laying the foundation for another BSE-type disaster. It was believed a clampdown would be imminent from politicians following residents groups claiming the landspread abattoir water was the root of unusual health problems in their community.

25 years ago

- The North College found that one tonne in 10 of first-cut Scottish silage is bad enough to make a cow turn her nose up at it.

That was the findings by the chemistry division, having completed the evaluation of more than 700 samples of silage from all over Scotland.

Dr John H Topps said: "Though this figure is only 10%, it is disappointing because in Scotland we generally make good silage."

- An islands authority had challenged Scottish Office Farm Minister Lord Sanderson, and the Department of Agriculture, to prove that better management would solve its milk supply crisis.

And Lord Sanderson's claim that Shetland's milk problems could be helped by a better calving pattern had been described as "ridiculous".

- It was said that if the consumer is to return to rearing more lamb, there must be fewer lambs with excess fat and poor conformation.

Ian Miller, chairman of Highland Glen – at the time selling over 30,000 classified lambs a year – was expected to tell Kelso and District Agricultural Discussion Society how such a group could help.

50 years ago

- In 1962 it was written that out of the Conservative party conference there came the most emphatic pledge as far as agriculture in the UK and the Common Market were concerned. The promise was made by Mr RA Butler, First Secretary of State. The government, he said, would never break faith with farmers. It was a pledge to his party, in particular to those who have doubts and objections to joining the EEC.

- The development of farmers' cooperatives was being hindered by the fact that they were unable to offer credit, was a view expressed by Mr AJ Rennie, Milton of Coullie, Aberdeenshire. The aims the co-operatives were trying to achieve were being defeated because of this.

100 years ago

- Popular columnist Gretchen wrote in 1912: "Dry boiled rice is most wholesome served with meat as a vegetable, and it has the added advantage of being quickly prepared too. In cases where potatoes are too indigestible or too fattening, rice may be substituted in place of bread.

"But it should be quite dry, and not stodgy or overboiled. Put the rice into slightly salted boiling water, and boil quickly – 10 or 15 minutes – till the grains feel soft; then drain, and return the pan to the hob to dry, shaking it now and again; if the grains stick to the bottom, put in a small piece of butter at the side to loosen them. When quite dry, it is ready to serve, but is improved by being fried in a small quantity of butter till a pale brown; dust with pepper and salt."

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